Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a spicy seafood and rice dish that hails from New Orleans. It’s the perfect dish for Mardi Gras.

I hope you had a great weekend. We spent the weekend relaxing and it was perfect! The last couple of weekends have been packed with activities, so it was nice to take it slower for a change.

Happy Mardi Gras! In honor of Mardi Gras, we are talking Jambalaya. Woohoo! Mardi Gras may officially be Tuesday, but I love any excuse for a flavor packed, rich, spicy meal.

Even though we are over a thousand miles away, we can celebrate too. At this point, I wish we were somewhere with some sunshine and warm weather as it snows here yet again!?

New Orleans is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go. In fact, every time Ben and I discuss potential trips and vacations, we are reminded of how many great places there are just a short plane ride or even drive away.

Mardi Gras food is just one reason I’d love to go to New Orleans. King Cakes, Jambalaya, Shrimp Gumbo, Beignets…seriously, it all sounds amazing.

Jambalaya is a Mardi Gras must.

Start by chopping your vegetables.

Then, add olive oil to a pan and add the Holy Trinity. This is the Louisiana variation of mirepoix: onion, bell pepper, and celery. I used both green and red bell peppers, but use whatever you have on hand. Add the sausage to the Holy Trinity. Stir to combine breaking the sausage into small pieces.

Cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the sausage is cooked.

Add the minced garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 1/4 tsp salt. Stir to combine. Add 1 cup of rice. I used brown rice, but you could also use white rice. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time according to the time needed for your rice. Once you’ve added the rice, stir to combine which will allow the rice to toast. Cook for 1 minute.

Add the chicken broth. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and allow the tomato paste to integrate into the sauce.

Place a lid on your pot and allow the jambalaya to cook. I stirred every 10 minutes or so until the rice was cooked (about 40 minutes). If you used white rice, your rice should cook in about half of that time. Once the rice is cooked, you’re ready to add the shrimp. Add your deveined and peeled shrimp right into the jambalaya and cook for about 5-8 minutes until cooked through (this will depend on the size of your shrimp).

Add 1 cup of rice. I used brown rice, but you could also use white rice. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time according to the time needed for your rice. Once you’ve added the rice, stir to combine which will allow the rice to toast. Cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and allow the tomato paste to integrate into the sauce.

Place a lid on your pot and allow the jambalaya to cook. I stirred every 10 minutes or so until the rice was cooked (about 40 minutes). If you used white rice, your rice should cook in about half of that time.

Once the rice is cooked, you’re ready to add the shrimp. Add your deveined and peeled shrimp right into the jambalaya and cook for about 5-8 minutes until cooked through (this will depend on the size of your shrimp).

Turn off the heat. Garnish with green onions and parsley.

Notes

If you wanted to use white rice, you can decrease the cooking time to follow the package directions of your rice.